Never underestimate the usefulness of your flashlight

This is a discussion on Never underestimate the usefulness of your flashlight within the Carry & Defensive Scenarios forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; The last 3 nights I've had to volunteer from 8 until midnight at the fair as security. Mainly parking lot and traffic control duty. No ...

Never underestimate the usefulness of your flashlight

The last 3 nights I've had to volunteer from 8 until midnight at the fair as security. Mainly parking lot and traffic control duty. No big deal. I was stationed at the main road at an exit only directing traffic to the next entrance. Apparently drunks don't understand one way or exit only. A guy tries to enter and I was standing in the way trying direct him on down. There was the beeping, cussing, etc. and then he got out of the car. I had my OC spray in my left hand but once I put the 150 lumen strobe light in his eyes he folded like a cheap suit. Another guy got out of the car, apologized, tossed the drunk in the back seat, and drove off. The previous night, there was a fight in the parking lot with about 40 kids involved. The strobe light in the eyes was very effective at disengaging people as we broke it up. In the right situation, a good flashlight is a very valuable tool. I believe in having layers of options available. For this gig, the flashlight was all I needed...not saying it was all I had, but it was all I needed.

It's one I bought off of Amazon.com for $50 and it came with mounting hardware for my shotgun with a remote pressure pad and an end cap for carrying unmounted. A member here on DC sent me the link to it in one of the threads when I was shopping for a light. Not sure of brand or model, but it has been one awesome light. If I had known how good it was going to be, I would have bought several of them. I'm not sure if they still have them or not. You might be able to do a thread search here and find the thread and link.

I carry a Fenix PD 30. I accidentally got a co worker in the eyes one night. If it were not for the wall of the trailer he would have been on the ground. I had to use it to flag down LE and EMT's one night when I found the guy they were looking for. I used to hang it out the drivers side window and use it as a backup light for my tractor trailer. You don't realize how handy they are till you carry one every day.

Something like this Streamlight Scorpion is the sort of thing that's weapon grade. As you approach and exceed 200 lumens of intensity, you can injure someone by shining it directly into their eyes.

I mounted a custom-built light to the Mossberg that can go up to 280 lumens, and I tested it against myself with a mirror. It was like getting whacked in the head with a 2x4. Along with OC spray, these can be highly effective for interpersonal defense. As has been noted in other threads, you also risk escalation to combat if you blast someone with a tactical light, especially in close quarters.

The STROBE effect is proved to be disorienting.
Differing (faster/slower) rates of STROBE will differ in providing the best effect or disorienting results.
I do not remember what the (supposed) ideal rate of Strobe flash would be.

As has been noted in other threads, you also risk escalation to combat if you blast someone with a tactical light, especially in close quarters.

The guy had already lunged his car at me and been yelling obscenities. Once he got out and started staggering towards me I figured it had already been escalated. I had my OC spray in my left hand and my light in my right. Had my XD40sc IWB at 4:00 position. I started with my first layer of defense (the strobe) and that was all it took. Quite honestly, as drunk as the guy was, I believe I could have clocked him square in the nose and he would have been out. No sense in risking an assault accusation when a flashlight will end the situation.